Life of a Mckinnon
by Marlene Minerva Black
Summary: Marlene survives the attack on her family. Sirius is given a trial after three years in Azkaban. They both raise Harry together and find love among each other. Several OCs. Hogwarts era flashbacks. MMxSB, RLxOC, GWHP
1. Introduction

As she reached the gates of the fortress, a flurry of doubts started creeping into her brain.

Was it right to come here to see him?

What if everyone was right?

What if he really killed them?

What if he wasn't the person that she knew him to be?

What if...

NO!!

No, No, No. No. She stopped herself from thinking anymore. It was just the dementors.

He would never do that to them. They were brothers. And he promised her to keep them safe, to keep him safe.

And Sirius Black never broke his promises, especially not the ones that he did to Marlene McKinnon.

She knew he was innocent and she was going to find out the complete truth and prove it to the world.

With these thoughts, she moved forward, determined to bring justice to the man she believed in.

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	2. Chapter-1

July, 31, 1981

Marlene Mckinnon returned to her flat in Paris from the hospital around five in the evening.

After eating the takeout dinner that she had bought on the way back, she sat down to write a letter to Lily and James to send with Harry's birthday gift.

Her godson had turned one today and as much as she wanted to be with him today, she knew that it won't be safe for them. So she decided to spoil him with a number of soft toys that she knew he would love to play with.

She completed that letter and tied it to the package that contained the shrunken stag and doe soft toys and sent the parcel to England with her owl, Adolf.

She kept staring out of the window; even when the owl became a tiny speck in the sky and then vanished completely; thinking about her day at the hospital, Pierre Bonaccord Hospital of Magical Injuries and Maladies, France.

Today she had completed two years of the three year healer training. Just one more year and she would be Healer Marlene McKinnon.

She thought back to the day when she had decided to leave everything in Britain and pursue her ambition to become a healer here, in France.

He father, Marcus McKinnon had completely denied to support her decision when she had first mentioned it to him just after her graduation. He had told her that going to France to study healing was a really stupid choice, which was probably true because even though France had a good healer training program, it wasn't better than the one provided in St. Mungo's. But a lot had happened during her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that had made her realize that her friends and family were not going to be there for her all the time. She needed to learn to be on her own, to be independent. So she fought with her father and applied for the training. She gave the entrance exam and qualified it with flying colours. She even got a scholarship to fund her residential expenses along with a significant amount of stipend that she started getting from her second year. Her father was very proud after that and had agreed with her only when she promised that she would be careful all the time.

Marlene moved from the window and went to her room. She had to pack her stuff before leaving for home tomorrow. She had a 15 days vacation before she had to start her third year.

As much as she loved staying in France and being on her own, she had missed her friends and family and couldn't wait to be with them. But as soon as she opened her wardrobe, the pile of clothes that she had stuffed in it in hurry two days ago, fell on top her. Marlene groaned as she tumbled a little with the weight.

"Packing will have to wait, I guess," she scoffed. She kept the clothes on her bed and looked around her room. Marlene Mckinnon was the last person one would expect to keep her room clean and she really hated it at times like these i.e. when she had to clean it. But there was no use to stall it anymore. As soon as she could finish cleaning and complete her packing, she could go to bed. She hadn't slept last night so she really needed to sleep tonight before catching her early morning portkey tomorrow.

She sighed and started working.

After an hour or so, when she had almost completed her room and just had the lower shelf of her cupboard left, she found it. Her scrapbook. She had had it since her childhood and had pasted the pictures of all her friends and family in it but she hadn't worked on it since last year after Harry's birth.

She opened the first page to find an year old baby girl wrapped in her father's arm. She smiled looking at the picture. She loved her father a lot. Even though he disagreed with her at times, he loved her like no one else. And Marlene knew that her Dad was the best father in the world. He had told her that it was one of her first pictures as the wizarding photography was not very common at the time of her birth. Nevertheless, it was her most favourite.

She turned the page to find a picture with both of her parents. Her mother Grace McKinnon was a really beautiful women. Marlene loved her mother but she was never close to her. They rarely agreed on anything. And Grace's belief that Marlene should find friends just among girls and not boys was something that she could neither understand nor apply in her life.

Then there was one with her Uncle Simon, who was like a second father to her, even though he could never take her Dad's place in her life.

He never married but loved Marlene and her brothers just like his own children.

Next was a picture, with all her brothers. Marlene had three brothers, Jacob(26), Leo(24) and Miller(23). Leo was the coolest and her favourite. She liked Jacob too but she fought the most with Miller. But she loved all of them the same.

Then there was a picture of Marlene with Oliver and Remus just outside Remus' new cottage. She was five at that time.

Oliver Potter or Redfur or Ollie for Marlene was her childhood best friend and her fourth brother in all but blood. He was James Potter's cousin. His father Charlus Potter was her Dad's best friend and neighbor. Charlus was also an Auror. Being neighbors and the closest in age then any of their brothers and sisters, Oliver and Marlene had spent most of their childhood and Hogwarts years together. Just like Marlene, Oliver had also wanted to be a Healer but with the war growing and the need of the Aurors increasing everyday, he had opted to be a healer for the Auror Office. It was an extremely hard choice but Oliver was brilliant as well as hardworking so Marlene knew that he would ace it. His training was tougher than her's and he rarely got time these days. In fact she hadn't spoken to him in about a month, Marlene realised with a jolt.

I really need to visit home often. She sighed and turned the page.

Next was a picture of her, Meghan and James, which Euphemia Potter had clicked on Meghan's eleventh birthday party. Meghan Potter was James' elder sister. She was four years older than Marlene and was in Miller's year at Hogwarts. She was as much an elder sister to Marlene as she was to James. With all the boys in Marlene's life, it was a much needed change. Meghan now had a three year old daughter called Isabella who adored Marlene. Marlene loved dressing her up into fancy clothes whenever she got time.

Then there was a group picture of all the Potters, the Lupins and the Mckinnons. It was clicked on the New Years eve just before James and Remus went to Hogwarts at the party at Charlus and Dora Potter's place i.e. at the Potter Mansion. It had Hope, Dora, Grace and Euphemia sitting on the couch in the living room as their respective husbands stood behind them; Meghan and Marlene sat on the armrests; Miller, Leo, Oliver and Jacob occupied the floor in front of the ladies; James stood beside Marlene while Remus stood beside Meghan. Uncle Simon was not in the picture because he was the one who clicked it. It was a very rare occasion when the Lupins had joined them after a lot of cajoling from Uncle Simon. Everybody was very happy that day, Marlene remembered, with no war over their heads and Fleamont and Euphemia still alive.


	3. Chapter-2

Marlene sighed and turned over the next page. It was the first page of the Hogwarts section. Marlene and Oliver were standing in front of the Hogwarts Express in the picture. Her Dad had clicked that one. She still remembered how proud and happy he had been on that day.

Then there was a picture with Mary.

Mary MacDonald, her first girl friend at Hogwarts. She was shorter than her name but when she opened her mouth, none of that mattered. She was the most talkative person Marlene had ever known and that was saying something because she knew James Potter.

There was one picture of Marlene, Mary and Oliver, whose attention was on Mary rather than the camera. They were in their fourth year at that time. Later Mary and Oliver had dated too but they broke up just after graduation. Marlene still didn't know the reason because they didn't want to burden her with even more problems. Idiots. But after that Mary had disconnected herself from Marlene and rest of their friends too. Marlene had tried talking to her but Mary was just too stubborn. Even bigger idiot.

As she moved forward, she saw a picture of her with her first boyfriend, Regulus Black. They had started dating at the beginning of their fourth year. This picture was from their first Hogsmead date. Instead of going to the crowded restaurants, Regulus had suggested going up the hill at the end of the village to spend some time away from the people with just each other as company. She had suspected it to be Sirius' idea which Regulus had confirmed later. The view from the top was so beautiful that Marlene couldn't help but click pictures and that was where Marlene had had her first real kiss. That was the time when Sirius and Regulus were really close. They had their issues at times but they stood by each other whenever in need. Sirius had fully supported their relationship even when Ollie hadn't. Oliver and Regulus did not like each other ever since their first year at Hogwarts, which had surprised everyone seeing their brothers were best friends. But Oliver Potter and Regulus Black hated each other and it was Marlene Mckinnon who suffered the most between them.

Then there was Walburga Black who was not happy at all with her favourite son dating a blood traitor's daughter. Marlene liked Regulus but there were just a lot of problems. They dated for a few months before Marlene broke up with him a few months before their exams as the stress of the relationship was affecting her studies. Regulus was not happy with the decision and tried to do everything so that Marlene would get back with him. She tried to make him understand but was shocked when he tried to force himself on her. Before she could react, Sirius and James came out of nowhere. James fought with Regulus while Sirius seemed tooangry and disappointed to move. She never saw the brothers talking after that and Sirius moved in with the Potters next summer.

She smiled as she turned over the next page. There they were, the four Marauders sitting at a booth in The Three Broomsticks and grinning (and winking in case of Sirius Black)at her. She remembered that day very clearly. It was the end of her fourth year and their fifth. James had won them the quidditch cup in his very first year as a captain. Needless to say, he was on cloud nine. After the party at the Gryffindor common room had died down, Sirius was still unsatisfied. So he had suggested sneaking out to go to the Three Broomsticks and celebrate. Oliver and Mary had denied but Marlene was intrigued. That was the first time she had sneaked out from the school, but surely not the last.

There were pictures of Marlene with them individually too.

The first one was with Peter, clicked in her fifth year in the common room by the fire.

Peter Pettigrew, or little fatty Wormtail, was the cutest of all the Marauders. Everyone thought that he was a weak marauder, but only few people knew that there was more to Wormtail than he showed the world. He wasn't as athletic as James or as intelligent as Remus. Neither was he as handsome and popular as Sirius. But Peter was the one who kept the other three together. Whenever Sirius or James had an argument, or Remus was angry with them, it was Peter who made them sit down and talk it out. Marlene knew very well that if it wasn't for Peter, the Marauders wouldn't be what they were today. And Peter Pettigrew loved food, not just eating it but he liked sharing it too. So whenever Marlene's chocolate stash was finished and Remus Lupin was being a selfish bastard, it was Peter who shared his chocolates.

Next was with Remus, on his sixteenth birthday at the Shrieking shack. Remus Lupin, or Moony was the quietest of them. He was also her bestest friend. She had known him since before the night Greyback had decided to bite him as a payback to Mr.Lupin. His father Lyall Lupin worked with Marlene's uncle Simon McKinnon at the Ministry. After Remus was bitten, Lyall wanted to move to a place, that was somewhere near a forest and away from people so that Remus could transform without harming others. That's when Marlene's uncle Simon had come and given him one of their family cottage that was situated at the end of the village near the forest. Marlene and Remus' friendship had grown over the years. Until Remus went to Hogwarts, she, Oliver and Remus spent all their time together. He shared her love for chocolate and books and was the first person Marlene went to if she needed any boy related advice.

Then there was with Sirius Orion Black aka Padfoot aka heartthrob of Hogwarts earlier and the Order now.

They were sitting by an enchanted window at the kitchen and looking out at the full moon. It was the next full moon after the Snape Accident. The others, especially Remus had not forgiven Sirius yet and he had not been allowed to join Remus that night.

Marlene would be lying, if she said that she was never attracted by Sirius' aristocratic looks and his stormy grey eyes and those ebony black hair that every girl wanted to run her hands through; (even though he never let anyone touch them). She was in fact very much attracted to him during her third year. He was her first crush. But he was also an arrogant, utterly heroic, self obsessed, foolishly brave and undeniably handsome bastard who was never interested in her because "I don't date Marls. I just snog bitches and you are way too good to be either of them." At least that's what he had told her years ago. Things had changed between them after Hogwarts but she didn't know if she was even ready to acknowledge it. But one of the best things about Sirius Black (which was probably the worst thing too) was that he could do anything for the people he cared about. After leaving his home at sixteen, he had become as much a part of the Potter and McKinnon clan as was any of them.

And then there was the one with James Potter or Prongs or Jamie for Marlene. They were sitting by the lake just after he had finished his OWLs and were talking. Lily wasn't even looking at him at that time and he was terribly crushed.

James and Meghan used to live at the Potter's Cottage at Godrics Hollow with their parents.

Before Hogwarts, even though Marlene was not as close to James as she was with Oliver and Meghan, he had always had an important part in her life, in her heart. When they were small kids, Euphemia and Grace used to talk about getting James and her married. Marlene would never say it aloud but those talks had not meant as little to her as she pretended. Even as she grew up and started dating others, some little part of her always compared the guy with James; always hoped that James would be 'the one' for her. Maybe that was the reason that she never as close to Lily as Mary was during their Hogwarts days.

But that summer evening, sitting by the lake, beside him, listening to him talk about life, watching him as he ran his hands through his hair and making them even more of a disaster, Marlene had realised for the first time that James Potter meant much more to her than she had ever expected.


	4. Chapter - 3

**Thank you for all your reviews. This chapter is a bit short too. Sorry. But I am a student and it's a bit tough to make time. **

**To Adrian Zviaguin : the characters will be elaborated in the next chapters. Thank you.****I also wanted to ask you all if the way I have covered the marauders era till now is right or you all would prefer the flashbacks like the one below?**

**Let's get to the chapter now. Keep reading and reviewing.**

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Next was the picture of Marlene with the Head of the Gryffindor house, Minerva McGonagall, who also taught Transfiguration. And Even though Marlene was not as good in Transfiguration as she was in Charms, McGonagall was her favourite teacher. She was her role model. Ever since Marlene had first met her on her first day at school, she had looked up to her. This picture was clicked by Uncle Simon after a quidditch match in her fifth year. Marlene had been the commentator of that match and Professor McGonagall was congratulating her for doing a good job. McGonagall had a place in Marlene's life that she wished her mother had had.

Turning to the next page, Marlene found herself wrapped in the arms of James Potter, both of them sitting on the couch by the fire in the almost deserted Gryffindor common room late at night. Their eyes were closed and they seemed asleep.

The summer after Marlene's fourth year, she and James had developed a different kind of bond. While James had finally realised that Lily was never going to say yes to him, Marlene was trying to leave everything that had happened with Regulus behind her. Moving on from their respective love lives had brought them closer. They used to owl each other everyday and meet every weekend, either to go on a walk to the pond at Godric's Hollow or roam around in the Muggle world, or just torelax in each others company. Spending so much time with James had made Marlene realise that the acceptance of Lily's denial had brought quite a change in James. He was now looking past the beauty of Lily Evans, at the turmoil that the wizarding world was going through at that time. He was finally growing up.They both had developed a kind of emotional attachment that Remus believed only couples had. Maybe that was true but neither Marlene nor James were ready to accept that at that moment. Their friendships were at the stake after all. Oliver had warned her not to get so close to him, because like always, Oliver knew that being so attached to James would only develope the feelings that even Marlene didn't know existed in her heart. And develope, they did. Marlene didn't even realise when she had fallen so deeply for James Potter until the first day of her fifth year.

After the feast at the great hall, all the fifth and sixth year Gryffindors were relaxing and catching up in the common room. There were few seventh years too. But the rest had gone to bed. Siriusand James had arranged a few butterbeers and a bottle of firewhiskey; which they had nicked from Fleamont Potter and smuggled into the school. Everybody was a bit tipsy. Marlene was sitting on the couch between James and Remus. Sirius and Oliver were sitting on the floor in front of them while the rest occupied the armchairs. Marlene hadn't even noticed when she had rested her head on James' shoulder or when his arm had come around her. She was so comfortable and relaxed in that position that she almost fell asleep.

"Mar?" James whispered in her ear, when he noticed that her eyes were closed.

"Hmm," she murmured, without opening her eyes.

"I think you should go to your dorm, unless you plan on sleeping on my shoulder, that is."

Marlene opened one eye to see him smirking down at her, but closed it again.

"I am comfortable here," she said, shifting closer to him.

James gave a short silent laugh but didn't say anything.

After a few minutes, she felt him keep his head on hers and pull her even more closer. She just sighed in content and fell asleep.

Marlene woke up after about an hour to notice that she was still in the same position with James but the rest of their friends had gone upstairs except Remus and Lily who were sitting at the homework table at the other end of the common room, deep in discussion. As she moved a bit, she also noticed Sirius snogging Emmaline Vance in one of the corners.

She looked at James to see him smiling down at her sleepily. "Good Morning", he said, winking.

Marlene snorted and moved away from him. She groaned realising half of the Gryffindor house must have seen them like that. "You could have woken me up."

James stretched his arms above his head while replying, "Well. I did try. But," he looked at her and smirked, "someone was too comfortable in my arms to go to bed."

Marlene blushed and stood up but turned back to look at his arms. "Well, you do have nice arms, Potter" she winked at him.

Before she could run upstairs, James pulled her back towards him but she lost balance and fell on him instead. He steadied her with his arms around her again and looked into her eyes.

"So you like my arms now ,hmm Mckinnon?" he murmured. They were so close that Marlene could feel his breath on her lips. James wasn't smirking or grinning anymore. He was just staring at her with the intensity that she had never seen in those hazel eyes before. And she was staring back. All Marlene wanted in that moment was just to lean in and press her lips to his. It seemed that James was thinking the same because he leaned in first and their lips met.

They had started dating after that day. And Marlene's feeling for James had only grown with each passing day.

He was her first love. But sadly, she wasn't his. His heart had always belonged to Lily. So James and Marlene had broken up. Marlene was very angry in the beginning, angry at James, at Lily and at herself. She took her time but she understood that James Potter and Lily Evans were made for each other. James had waited for Marlene to move on before starting to date Lily in their seventh year. And Marlene had moved on, that's what she had told James at least.


End file.
